Travis Tritt Doubles Down on Criticism of Beyonce Performing at the CMA Awards
It was quite a contentious couple of weeks. The 2016 CMA Awards transpired right when the United States was getting swept up in the apex of political fervor a week ahead of the Presidential election, and here come the CMA Awards parading out Beyoncé as the centerpiece of their performance lineup. And when the criticisms began to flood in, Beyoncé’s notorious “Beyhive” got swarming, and accusations of racism were strewn about, covering anyone who dare question why a pop star was slotted on a country awards show.
Chief among the critics of Beyoncé was Travis Tritt, who said in a series of tweets on November 3rd, “As I see it, country music has appealed to millions for many years. We can stand on our own and don’t need pop artists on our awards shows. I love honest to God country music and feel the need to stand up for it at all costs. We don’t need pop or rap artists to validate us.”
Earlier Tritt had made some other digs at the Beyoncé decision. “Thanks to everyone who came out to see us in Bowling Green, KY tonight. Sorry we weren’t able to do any Beyoncé for all the country fans,” he said. “FYI – My band and I are gonna try to work up Beyoncé’s “All The Single Ladies” for all you die hard country fans who love traditional music!”
Tritt was accused of racism, and specifically—and doggedly—because he had not criticized other pop performers who had performed on the awards show previous, even though this was flatly untrue.
In a recent interview with NASH Country Daily, Travis Tritt doubled down on his criticisms of the Beyonce booking by the CMA’s, and clarified his position.
“It wasn’t so much about just Beyoncé. This is a complaint that I’ve heard for a long time, actually for decades,” Tritt says. “Every year the CMA television producers feel a need to bring in acts from other genres, and it’s always done to boost ratings. I understand the concept behind that but at the same time I’ve always found it a little bit insulting … we’ve certainly become strong enough to stand on our own two feet without the help from outside sources. I’ve been complaining about this for years, and it’s funny to me that it took complaining about this year’s performance, before anybody paid any attention to it.”
As for how race got worked into the equation, Tritt says,
“That was done by the people who picked the story up from Twitter—from my Twitter feed. Some of the people in the media twisted it completely around. First of all, they said that I trashed Beyoncé, which I never did. I never made a statement saying anything bad about her personally. All I said was that her performance—in my humble opinion—her performance as well as any of the other performances that have been on from the pop world, including Arianna Grande, Meghan Trainor, Justin Timberlake or whoever, do not belong … especially on a country music show that was a 50-year celebration.”
Tritt goes on to say,
“It has frustrated me for years … that for every pop performance or R&B performance or any other type of genre performance that you have on the CMA Awards, that takes time away from somebody who is a country music artist, doing country music songs, releasing country music singles to radio, selling country music under that moniker to people all across the country and across the world … There are other artists that could have been just as much of a draw and that really should have been involved in that slot to celebrate the music that they have helped to create. So many great country music artists that you can name that weren’t part of it because there is only so much time—I get that, I understand that and everybody else does too. But when you take a portion of that precious time and give it to an artist outside of our industry, it makes no sense.”
Travis Tritt was not the only country artist concerned about the Beyoncé performance. Reports say that Alan Jackson walked out while Beyonce was performing.
Travis Tritt just released a new acoustic live album called A Man and His Guitar.
Lewis
November 30, 2016 @ 9:40 am
Travis Tritt for President 2020
Jim
November 30, 2016 @ 9:48 am
Travis Tritt gets it. I wish there were more like him out there. Or, really, anyone else out there like him.
Adrian
December 1, 2016 @ 12:53 am
As is told by one of the most familiar songs Travis has recorded,
“I got rice cookin’ in the microwave
Got a three day beard I don’t plan to shave
And it’s a goofy thing but I just gotta say, hey
I’m doin’ alright”
That is the kind of attitude that I think country music artists and fans should have. I am who I am, that’s good enough for me, and I ain’t gonna apologize for it. Let the yuppies in the city think what they want to think, because it doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, many of the suits in Nashville act more like insecure T-Swift fans who want to be noticed by the “cool” people.
Country doesn’t need to be the previous decade’s pop music. It needs to have a mind and soul of its own.
Matt
December 1, 2016 @ 1:12 pm
It’s all about breaking rural culture down to demoralize us. Rural folk’s are some of the last last people that still have pride, and everyone knows you can’t have that unless your black Muslim or Mexican.
JC Eldredge
November 30, 2016 @ 9:49 am
“That was done by the people who picked the story up from Twitter—from my Twitter feed. Some of the people in the media twisted it completely around.
Sounds a lot like his excuse after tweeting out that Breitbart article about how Tim Mcgraw was anti guns and his fans went apeshit, then he was all “I just shared an interesting article for them to read and draw their own conclusions. I can’t control my fans reactions.”
He seems like like to throw things out there that he knows will get people riled up, then shuck responsibility and feign innocence when his fans take it to the extreme.
scott
November 30, 2016 @ 10:07 am
He has zero responsibility “when his fans take it to the extreme”. Those fans own the responsibility. Please don’t make it out that TT is the bad guy. I’ve always enjoyed your perspective, and your opinions here. You’re better than that, ma’am.
JC Eldredge
November 30, 2016 @ 10:42 am
I’ll tell you a little story about “TT” . When that whole Breitbart mess was going down I made a comment about it on twitter. I didn’t @ him and I dont follow him. It was something along the lines of “Celebs should think before they tweet, if Travis Tritt didnt want his 2 million fans to attack other artists, then he shouldnt insinuate things based on conspiracy theories” . He found my tweet, retweeted it with a comment about “another crybaby liberal wanting to take your guns”. He then retweeted and tagged me in dozens of nasty responses. I was called everything from a bitch to a whore and told that they hoped I was raped, my sons school was shot up and I was attacked in my sleep by his fans. Not only did he not call off the dogs, he spurred it on for HOURS by continuously retweeting my name. I tweeted him and asked him what his problem was and why he was encouraging people to threaten me and he went on a multiple tweet rant about how he wasn’t responsible for his fans threats. Over the next few days, I got THOUSANDS of tweets from his fans. One guy tweeted me almost 200 times after Tritt retweeted a few of his comments. Windmills Music dm’d during this and advised me to start screenshotting. She then wrote a post about his behavior and shared several threatening tweets from his fans. Only then, after many of her followers started calling him on his behavior did he make a half assed admission of guilt and say that he never intended to insinuate anything, he was just sharing information. He knew what he was happening and he knew his fans were responding to false information that he shared as fact. He knew because he was responding to many that were disagreeing with his behavior, which meant he was reading the tweets coming in. He knew because he was tagged in every single one of those threats by his fans who got my name from his tweets. He could have, at any time, said “hey guys, it’s not cool to tell a mother that you hope her son gets murdered at school. Back off” He didn’t. He may not have been writing those threats himself but he was absolutely responsible for them.
scott
November 30, 2016 @ 11:45 am
JC, I can honestly say if that happened, I’m sorry that you were subjected to that. No one should have to put up with that shit. Stuff like this is why I left twitter land. Sorry, too, for my knee jerk reaction, lesson learned.
JC Eldredge
November 30, 2016 @ 12:52 pm
It’s ok, you didn’t know. It’s just that he seems to have a pattern of dropping statements that he knows will rile up his fans then putting his halo on when they do.
Here’s the story SCM did about it with a few tweets included.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/tim-mcgraw-and-billy-currington-stir-gun-debate-over-sandy-hook-charity-appearance/
Liza
December 1, 2016 @ 4:24 pm
Travis is good at skewering people without getting his hands dirty.
Tezca
November 30, 2016 @ 4:27 pm
May I have the link to the post Windmill’s did? I don’t think I have read her stuff in general if she had a blog.too. I’m sorry that all happened too, he should’ve stepped in and told them to stop when they started threatening harm and such.
I honestly can’t remember if it was something from @SwiftOnSecurity or somewhere from our little corner of the country music fandom on twitter but I remember seeing a tweet that talked about like how those with tons of followers have influence and stuff, how you have to be careful. I would say @SwiftOnSecurity is more aware than Travis of how much influence one can have with a lot of followers and wanting to be careful with not screwing up and causing umm shit like this for lack of a better word.
JC Eldredge
November 30, 2016 @ 4:47 pm
I don’t have a link. They were tweets, not a blog post.
Hayley McDaniel
December 1, 2016 @ 7:38 am
Holy shit JC, that’s absolutely disgusting behavior on TT’s part. He just lost a fan. There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of craziness.
Trigger
November 30, 2016 @ 10:55 am
The problem in politics right now is each side is trying to define the other through their extremes. Just because one university decides to take down their American flag doesn’t mean all Clinton supporters are anti-American, just as a few weirdo Nazis making Hitler salutes to Trump doesn’t mean we’re about to be subjugated under a fascist regime. This is all anecdotal. Overall, folks are generally kind and tolerant, and these are the stories and examples we should be highlighting, not just the extreme ones.
Most certainly there were some racist elements criticizing Beyonce on the CMA’s. But that doesn’t make ALL the criticism racist.
RD
November 30, 2016 @ 11:16 am
“Overall, folks are generally kind and tolerant…”
I don’t think that is true. Generally, though, I agree with your sentiment. You don’t get to pick your followers.
JC Eldredge
November 30, 2016 @ 11:18 am
That’s the problem with the entire country right now. You don’t like Beyonce? You’re a racist? You voted Democrat? You’re obviously a gun hating baby killer. Voted Trump? You’re a Nazi. It’s absurd. My problem isn’t with Tritt criticizing the performance, many did and I actually agree with him that there was so much talent in the audience that should have been on that stage before they brought in a pop artist, but his comments about not playing Beyonce at his concert were meant to antagonize and illicit a negative response from his followers. He can say whatever he wants, that’s his right, but he shouldn’t try to play the victim of “the media twisted my words” when he stirs the shit.
Hayley McDaniel
December 1, 2016 @ 7:39 am
AMEN.
LG
December 1, 2016 @ 3:51 am
You couldn’t have said this better.
MN
November 30, 2016 @ 10:00 am
I really like Travis Tritt and agree with him on *most* of these points.
That said, I’d argue that the most important moment for the “cause” over the last 2-3 years was Chris Stapleton’s CMA performance with Justin Timberlake, and I often wonder if Chris Stapleton goes 2x platinum without him. Maybe he would have still won the CMA Awards, but I think a large part of Chris’s success is due to the virality of that performance which was amplified by the participation of Justin Timberlake.
Obviously I’d prefer that prime time performance slots go to deserving country artists like Sturgill and Jason and Brandy and Margo. But Chris Stapleton and the Dixie Chicks are deserving of those slots as well, and I think it’s OK to leverage a pop star’s popularity in order to create incredible performances that people will remember. To me, there is an obvious distinction between the Justin Timberlake/Beyonce cameos and the Trainor/Grande/Pitbull ones.
scott
November 30, 2016 @ 10:11 am
Stapleton/Timberlake was the exception, although I agree with your assertion that probably propelled Chris Stapleton’s success, and sales. Dixie Chicks were no more deserving of that slot than any other legacy act, but that’s just my opinion.
Trigger
November 30, 2016 @ 10:50 am
I think you can disagree with booking Justin Timberlake on the CMA Awards on the principle that no pop artists should be booked, but still acknowledge the moment Timberlake created with Chris Stapleton as an important moment in country music history. Should he have been on the show? Probably not. But as soon as he took the stage, that ship had sailed, and at that point all you can do is hope for the best.
The difference between the Timberlake performance and the Beyonce performance is the narratives that came out of them. With Timberlake and Stapleton, it was all about how memorable it was and how it launched Stapleton’s career. With Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks, it became all about racism, politics, etc. etc. THAT was the water cooler talk about Beyonce. Few people are talking about the performance itself.
MN
November 30, 2016 @ 12:03 pm
Yeah I guess I just disagree with the under-no-circumstances principle part. If a pop star is genuinely interested in creating a special performance that honors and respects the culture and tradition of country music then I’m all for it. I thought it was especially cool to hear Beyonce sing the line “They got money but they don’t have Cash” (even if I wish they would have given equal time to that song). I don’t believe that selecting that verse from that song was a coincidence, and I took it as recognition from the pop world (at least those with a semblance of critical acclaim) that mainstream country is mostly corny bullshit. I’ll bet that a message like that resonates more with pop country fans coming from Beyonce than it would you or I or Travis Tritt or Sturgill. If Beyonce and Justin Timberlake can use their influence to further the cause then I think that’s a good thing.
Now, I agree with you that the general narrative that came out of that performance was not at all what my takeaway from it was, and that is a real shame. If people think that the motivation behind that performance was to stir up some sort of racial or political controversy then I get it. If I had any evidence that was the case then I would I would agree, but maybe I’m naive. You know the world of publicists and music journalism MUCH better than I do.
Anyways, appreciate the discussion!
Trigger
November 30, 2016 @ 12:41 pm
Yeah, I mean each non country artist they select to play the CMA Awards has to be judged on their own merit. The reason there was less criticism of Timberlake is because he is a friend of Stapleton, was one of his early proponents, and is one of those pop stars that’s generally well liked throughout the populous. Beyonce however is a polarizing figure, and we knew this because of her performance at the Super Bowl, which caused its own roiling controversy egged on by her “Beyhive.”
BwareDWare94
November 30, 2016 @ 11:36 am
There’s nothing incredible about Beyonce not actually singing.
clifton
November 30, 2016 @ 10:06 am
I believe that country can stand on its own. They have changed country into pop music and it’s all about the ratings and money Alan Jackson walked out for a reason
albert
November 30, 2016 @ 10:10 am
TT echoes sentiments shared whole-heartedly by myself and many many SCM contributors as well as nearly every fan of traditional country music , common sense and FAIRNESS .
Rob
November 30, 2016 @ 10:54 am
I agree with him but not with the Timberlake performance. Very helpful for country music and it felt genuine. But he’s right about a lot of the crossovers, but it can be done right
Whiskey_Pete
November 30, 2016 @ 11:08 am
I’m with Tritt. That’s just how I feel. For some reason though, I find myself arguing with people on this website. I thought we were all on the same page. That’s why we’re here.
He expresses his disapproval of Beyonce’s pop in a country awards show and they call him ‘rawcists’.
I express my disapproval of Keith Urban because he’s pop and they call me prejudice towards Australians. Australian-ist?
“We don’t need pop or rap artists to validate us.”
That’s really the sum of my discontent. All this pop and rap infiltrating our great genre of country music. Love that live album (A man and His Guitar) Travis Tritt just came out with. Now that’s what I’m talking about.
Whiskey_Pete
November 30, 2016 @ 11:23 am
I swear, there are these clowns just sitting behind a computer all day waiting to call someone a:
Racists, bigot, ignorant, fascists, (___insert____-ist)
Scotty J
November 30, 2016 @ 2:43 pm
S.I.X.H.I.R.B.
Sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, islamophobic, racist, bigoted.
At least one of these are used to shut down every one that disagrees,
Jim L.
December 3, 2016 @ 12:37 am
When you aren’t able to handle a logical argument based on facts, the only card left to play is name-calling.
stringbuzz
November 30, 2016 @ 11:16 am
I don’t mind someone outside the country realm performing on an awards show if they are paying homage to country music.
Its when an artist is on there for some other agenda or reason, which I believe the Beyoncé performance was.
It is nothing personal against her, the intent of pairing her with the Dixie Chicks was not about celebrating country music.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 30, 2016 @ 12:04 pm
the Chicks hate everything Country Music stands for. it’s content, it’s fans, and it’s other performers.
They use our genre for making money.
Jimsouls
November 30, 2016 @ 6:37 pm
The Dixie Chicks are the last exciting act to consistently receive country music airplay. Think of what mainstream country fans now listen to. They have to be th most clueless fanbase in all of music. The Dixie Chicks are well rid of them.
By the way, A Seat at the Table by Beyonce’s sister, Solange, is one of the year’s best albums in any genre. A thoughftul R&B set in the “What’s Going On” tradition.
Toby in AK
November 30, 2016 @ 11:19 am
I don’t expect my country music singers to have their own speechwriters to sanitize their language, especially not on twitter. Actually I’m grateful to get a candid look at the artists own thoughts, instead of some marketing intern running their social media page. Tritt spoke his mind on twitter and what do you know, he didn’t sound like a nobel laureate on racial politics when he said it.
I still haven’t seen the performance itself, I can’t comment on that. In general though, I share Tritt’s feelings about pop artists. I even could have done without the Timberlake performance. I recognize that it boosted Stapleton’s brand but I didn’t really think Timberlake’s style fit the emotions of that particular song YMMV. Timberlake with Reba McEntire, or Timberlake with Anna Kendrick shows that he is capable of working in the genre.
albert
November 30, 2016 @ 2:18 pm
”Timberlake with Reba McEntire, or Timberlake with Anna Kendrick shows that he is capable of working in the genre.”
This is my issue with this pop-crossover business ( and it IS BUSINESS ) , Toby .
There are hundreds of people ‘ capable of working in the genre ” . They are EVERYWHERE . How ‘ bout we FIRST acknowledge the folks who have supported , LIVED , respect and have worked IN THE GENRE for their entire professional lives . Folks who have remained true to the traditions , played the shitholes trying to make it , trying to feed families and all the while creating the soundtrack to our lives as country fans ? Let’s give them the stage before the Timberlakes and Beyonces who , Lord knows , don’t need to feed any more than their own egos at this point . No , I’m not disrespecting the pop ‘ ringers’ on the basis of their talents or hard work in their respective genres . I’m saying that ‘ country ” music should be creating and affording opportunities for their own when those opportunities arrive . How about we give that Beyonce slot to Margo Price or ..how ’bout we make it a guitar round for writers creating REAL country songs …or how ’bout country introduces THE WORLD and all of its pop fans to the REAL STUFF by a few forgotten legends teamed up with a MO Pitney or Sam Outlaw . There were so many other more significant , advantageous , supportive and FAIR ways to alot that time spot
Toby in AK
November 30, 2016 @ 6:39 pm
I’m right there with you Albert, country music performers should be given preference. I will allow for (as if I have a choice) any non-country artist as long as they love and understand the genre, and are willing to show that appreciation by showing homage to it’s traditions. Some of my favorite country music was made as a crossover album (like Ray Charles, Elvis or Ween). Likewise some of the great country music acts were crossover acts (Charlie Rich, Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty, etc). But I do agree that the business should be promoting it’s own, who love and want to enhance country music as a dedicated country music performer.
Toby in AK
November 30, 2016 @ 6:50 pm
To circle back to the Reba/Timberlake example, what impresses me most about that song is that Timberlake was willing and able to take a backseat to Reba. It’s basically a Reba song with Timberlake singing backup vocals. He sings them in harmony with Reba, not as a competition.
One of my gripes with modern R&B/soul or pop in general, is that so many of these talented singers treat it as an acrobatic sport. To me, they are all over-singing, and their is no connection between their voice and the emotions of the lyrics. The other big gripe I have is that their duets are treated like a contest between two singers. Good country music duets are complimentary and harmonic. Usually one singer puts their ego aside and let’s the other singer feature themselves. There are very few pop artists who I can see signing up for that and doing it successfully. No offense to Beyonce but I don’t see her as that type of singer, she’s a powerful performer and is best as the feature. Her music isn’t my cup of tea but I recognize her talent.
Bigfoot is Real (lonesome, on'ry, and mean)
November 30, 2016 @ 11:41 am
I have a hard time taking anybody wearing a mullet, Hot Topic necklaces, and an acid washed Affliction shirt seriously about anything other than bad fashion choices.
Trigger
November 30, 2016 @ 12:44 pm
There isn’t a head shot out there of Travis Tritt that can withstand ridicule. For whatever reason, there is an extreme lack of photos of him, and the ones that are out there are terrible. The last one I posted everyone said he looked like his face was plastic. I can only work with what I’ve got, and have to make sure I have permission to use the photos.
Tighthead
December 1, 2016 @ 8:54 am
Looks like he matpybe has a weave or something. That hairline reminds me of a Christmas tree in a department store window – not natural fibers.
glendel
November 30, 2016 @ 12:35 pm
your 2035 CMA new artist of the year award winner for her genre crossing album of r & b and c & w covers: Beyonce Knowles Carter Tritt, the out of wedlock daughter of Beyonce Knowles-Carter and James Travis Tritt.
Tom R.
November 30, 2016 @ 1:05 pm
Travis Tritt is only out for Travis Tritt. Where was this allegiance to “true” country in the 1990’s when he was on top and recording a brazenly non-country track with Patti LaBelle or singing in tribute to The Eagles?. The Nashville train has passed Tritt by like most over 40 acts and he’s pissed. When was he ever a “traditional” country singer? He was always as much southern rock as he was country and that sound has basically taken over “country” today and he has to be at least a little unhappy that this whole brocountry thing sounds a lot like much of Tritt’s music in the 1990’s yet the industry’s ageism has shut him out.
I don’t recall hearing anyone in “country music” complain about John Cougar Mellencamp being on the show a year or two ago and he went as far as to sing one of his old rock hits instead of a country song. At least Beyoncé paid tribute to the country genre by singing a song clearly inspired by the old “mama/daddy’s wisdom” songs of yore.
Lorenzo
November 30, 2016 @ 2:02 pm
dude, are you fucking kidding me? Yeah Travis has introduced southern rock with stuff like Put Some Drive in Your Country and Looking Out for Number One, but he also released neotraditional stuff such as Here’s a Quarter, Country Club, If I Lost You, Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof. Have you ever fucking listened to his album ‘The Restless Kind’? He turned a Darrel Scott song into one of the biggest country radio songs ever and his new acoustic album proves he’s one of the best in country music.
Brad
November 30, 2016 @ 5:13 pm
You can bet that if asked to perform his duet with Ms. Labelle on the CMAs he sure wouldn’t have turned it down.
Toby in AK
November 30, 2016 @ 6:58 pm
Tritt could be called a crossover artist that obviously had a blues/soul influence on his sound. Waylon called him one of his favorite singers because he liked the blues in his voice.
He also came up by playing rodeos and honky tonks years before he had a hit. He played the bluegrass circuit a bit and you can still see those chops when he collaborates with Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs or Earl Scruggs. He plays the country blues on the guitar or banjo, if that ain’t country you can kiss my…
He probably would not turn down a duet with LaBelle, who would? so that might make him a hypocrit. But if the CMA turned down a LeBelle/Tritt feature at the CMA awards I think he’d understand. That song was a footnote to his career.
signed,
shameless Travis Tritt fan
Jimsouls
November 30, 2016 @ 7:21 pm
I had phone interviews scheduled with Tritt for two different publications, a decade apart. He canceled both at the last moment (as in the exact time when the interview was to take place). The first time, his publicist called at the proper time on a Saturday morning, only for me to hear Tritt yelling in the background “I don’t want to do it.” The second was for a cover story to help promote what would be the year’s big event in a smallish southern community. Again, he rudely refused to come to the phone after I called when I was supposed to. Out of hundreds of artist interviews I have scheduled, only one other person has backed out at the last moment (Peter Green, who,of course, has mental problems). Tritt did it twice. He is a self-absorbed prick who doesn’t care how his actions and broken promises inconvenience others. Enough bad things can’t happen to this guy.
jody whelan
November 30, 2016 @ 1:13 pm
This is the story that keeps on giving… I can’t wait for Lady Gaga’s performance at next year’s CMA’s
Brad
November 30, 2016 @ 5:15 pm
Well her performance of A million reasons is far more country than whatever that was that Carrie sang on the CMAs.
Fat Freddy's Cat
November 30, 2016 @ 2:18 pm
This “let’s have a big pop star on the show, it’ll be great for the ratings!” thing would be a little more bearable if it was used sparingly, and if more effort was made to use it to help country music in the manner of the Timberlake/Stapleton pairing. But it looks to me like it’s going to be a standard part of the country awards show cookbook from here on out, and any help to a rising country artist will be pure coincidence. If a genuine country star occasionally benefits from it then all criticism of it will be called out-of-bounds. And if the pop star belongs to any “victim” group the criticism will be put down as bigotry.
Greg
November 30, 2016 @ 2:22 pm
Like Travis’s song says “I’m A Member Of A Country Club.Country Music is what I Love”.
Blackwater
November 30, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Amen Mr. Tritt. We don’t need pop music, but more rap like Yelawolf would be wonderful.
Trigger
November 30, 2016 @ 6:27 pm
Don’t remember Yelawolf getting offered a 3 1/2-minute time slot to headline the CMA Awards, or anyone suggesting that he should.
Blackwater
November 30, 2016 @ 9:48 pm
Just sayin’ it’d be nice to have more Yelawolf out there. Dude is country as f*ck.
RobertS
November 30, 2016 @ 4:53 pm
For me, it’s more of a question of balance. I think there will always be pressure to include non-country people on the few big network TV opportunities. I think there are ways to use those outside forces as “support” for the country acts, but all too often, the country people are pushed to the back burner. I watched the CMA Country Christmas the other day, and there simply wasn’t much of a “country” feel there. Loretta was as country as cornpone, and a couple others like Kacey made an effort. My own preference is to not get rid of all outside collaborations, but have them be the exception, rather than the norm. To put it in pro wrestling terms, you know to expect some celebrity guests at Wrestlemania, but you don’t want to replace your entire roster of wrestlers with the celebrities (see WCW’s demise years ago, lowlighted by putting championships on David Arquette,etc).
As for Travis Tritt specifically, I’ll mention that the Charlie Daniels deal that he’s a part of is a good example of balance. Larry the Cable Guy, 3 Doors Down, and Kid Rock aren’t exactly country music mainstays, but they’re there to support country hall-of-famer Charlie Daniels.
FreeTicketGal
November 30, 2016 @ 5:15 pm
I’m glad he said what he said. It needed to be said, and it needs to be said again, however, like most of you, I am convinced that CMA will keep using pop artists to boost the ratings.
I wonder whether CMA thinks that making music genre-free will ensure equality. Unfortunately, it’s never as simple as that. As things were, the country artists and their fans were used by CMA and made into backdrops, and the pop crowd was brought in as CMA’s meal ticket. No music mattered. Nobody won.
Lone Wolf
November 30, 2016 @ 5:48 pm
@ Whiskey Pete: I couldn’t agree with you more. Ad soon as the people were given the opportunity to post their opinions publicly on the internet, it suddenly turned into this mindset for certain people to post whatever negative, condescending, insulting and hurtful posts they wanted to. I’m all for freedom of speech but don’t for a second think what anyone posts isn’t going to have its drawbacks. Alan Jackson made his statement. TT made his. I don’t believe these two were taking issue with Beyoncé as a performer. She was just in the wrong forum and country music has nobody to blame but themselves. Would anyone expect to see John Mayer at the BET Awards, Miranda at the Soul Train Awards or Adele at the Golden Gods Awards? No, because those shows are protective of their music. The Grammy’s are different. The AMA’s are different. Off topic… I’d love to see something on a universal music awards show where Luke Bryan has to follow a band like Symphony X and the look on his face knowing he and his band have to follow them and their singer.
the pistolero
November 30, 2016 @ 7:11 pm
Off topic… I’d love to see something on a universal music awards show where Luke Bryan has to follow a band like Symphony X and the look on his face knowing he and his band have to follow them and their singer.
I would pay good money to see that. Russell Allen is a fucking beast of a singer.
Lone Wolf
November 30, 2016 @ 8:02 pm
@ the pistlero: Yes, he is!! The first time I heard Russell Allen I heard Steve Walsh of Kansas and, in the same song, the late Ronnie James Dio. You would pay good money to see that that? Sign me up, too!!
the pistolero
November 30, 2016 @ 8:29 pm
Yup. I heard Symphony X described once as Dream Theater fronted by Ronnie James Dio, and that to my ears was a pretty accurate assessment. Good stuff, Maynard.
Dave
November 30, 2016 @ 7:56 pm
This is a guy whose Marty Stuart partnership was called the “No Hats” Tour. All of a sudden, Travis Tritt is some traditional country artist. He’s piling the bullshit on pretty high with his holier than thou act. I don’t like country rap (crap) or pop-country, but he’s the wrong guy to talk.
Justin
December 1, 2016 @ 2:38 am
Billy Ray Cyrus>Travis Tritt
Charlie
December 1, 2016 @ 5:14 am
If there was a level playing field for country artists, then yeah–occasionally let JT or Queen Bey do their thang. But there’s not. So Go Team Travis!!!
Michael Cosner
December 1, 2016 @ 6:55 am
Just because some people here have a personal axe to grind doesn’t mean that what he said is not true.
Chris
December 1, 2016 @ 11:53 am
I used to like Travis.
Now I love him and respect him.
We need spokespersons like him.
PDXWolf
December 1, 2016 @ 3:26 pm
Who is he kidding? 95%+ of what is at the CMA’s these days, sadly, IS pop music. No other way to look at it. Someone needs to ask him how country that d-bag shirt with big crosses on the shoulders is!
Luckyoldsun
December 1, 2016 @ 7:32 pm
If Travis Tritt has ONE famous, lasting performance at the CMA or ACM awards, it was his appearance in the early ’90s performing “Bible Belt” with Joe Pesci! Yeah, Joe Pesci. There’s a real country artist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpYXVVNPKk
I happened to think that that Travis-Pesci collaboration was great, but NOW, he’s taking offense at non-country artists appearing on country awards shows?
Who’s he kidding?–We all know that what bugs Tritt is not non-country artists appearing on the awards shows. It’s a certain country artist NOT appearing on the awards shows since the Bill Clinton Administration (or in that “Forever Country” mash-up)–namely Travis Tritt!
Michael Cosner
December 2, 2016 @ 1:17 pm
“Bible Belt” was on the soundtrack for My Cousin Vinny. Plus Joe Pesci is not a music artist.
dave
December 3, 2016 @ 5:33 pm
@ lucky old son… Seems you don’t know that much about awards shows what your compare here is apples to oranges being Travis and Joe Pesi performed this on the acms not the cmas…. the acms have always paired up Hollywood actors and tv actors up with country stars for about the last 40 years you do realize this was taped at knottsberry farm right? one of there award show slogans was where Nashville meets Hollywood…. I remember Mr. T presenting the entertainer of the year award for Christ sake
Luckyoldsun
December 4, 2016 @ 4:49 pm
If Travis Tritt were invited to perform on national TV with Beyoncé–or with Rhianna or Jay Z or Jimmy Fallon or “Triumph” (the insult comic dog)–I think he’d do it–and he wouldn’t care if it were the CMA’s or the ACM’s or the MCA’s or the Grammy’s or the Grampy’s
dave
December 7, 2016 @ 10:52 am
That’s a crock of shit and I don’t buy it for a second…. Travis judging by his past has always pretty much has been true to himself as a artist and a person, I don’t think he would sell himself out just to be on tv. The man has sold out shows owns his own trucking company and my buddy plays steel guitar for him and says he is very smart with his money so its not like he is willing to whore himself out for a dollar or a little TV exposure
Carol S. Jeffrey
December 1, 2016 @ 7:37 pm
As the first President of the Keith Whitley Fan Club, I worked for Keith’s manager Jack E. McFadden, who also managed my longtime friend Billy Ray Cyrus. Bottom line is Travis Tritt has been whining about
stars he knows will set the “fodder mills” grinding away featuring Tritt rather than the star he’s jealous of, such as Billy Ray Cyrus in 1988 when Billy Ray came to Ashland’s Paramount Arts Center just 10 miles from where I live. Tritt criticized Billy Ray Cyrus who set the world of Country music on fire with his “Achy Breaky Heart ” video filmed at the Paramount Arts Center. Travis Tritt had one hit, “…here’s a quarter, call someone who cares” Cyrus was heard every place music was played. Melanie Greewood, the ex-wife of Lee Greewood who taught Billy Ray and is dancers the Achy Breaky Line Dance. When Billy’s manager Jack McFadden set Billy up with an hour-long special that featured only Billy and his original band, of course, Tritt began to write about Billy again: Things like, ‘who does he think he is?” He’s not country! And Travis Tritt has been doing this for the past 28 years. Give it up Tritt. Here’s a quarter tip: “Text, Email or Twitter someone who recalls your ‘sly digs.’
Woogeroo
December 6, 2016 @ 7:10 am
Well in addition to the lack of music I consider country being performed on the ‘country award’ shows, this is another reason I haven’t tuned in. They are not gonna have country music people on the MTV awards show doing duets… maybe the Grammys where it’s always a gumbo, but that’s it. There have been many times I saw ads where they’d be hyping ‘such and such’ pop/rock/rap artist on the CMA’s and I would be like : wtf are they doing on there? / I mean, if they were just there cuz they liked the music and wanted to sing some country… cool. But it’s just false hype. Bring back the country music and the fans will follow.
Frank
November 12, 2020 @ 5:18 pm
Travis Tritt has a lot of room to talk about other women, his wife looks like a slut with her dresses cut to the waist and her shirts up to her padoozie.